SOC 001 Exam 2 - CHAPTER 11 Politics and the Economy...

CHAPTER 11 – Politics and the Economy Authority – power people consider legitimate, rightly exercised over them Power – ability to carry out will over others, even over resistance The government claims a monopoly on legitimate force or violence. The state claims both the exclusive right to use violence and the right to punish everyone else who uses violence (death penalty). Traditional Authority – based on custom, the hallmark of tribal groups (birth into a particular family makes an individual the chief, king, or queen) Rational Legal Authority – based on written rules (bureaucratic authority, authority comes from the legal power assigned to each office and position, not on the individual’s personal characteristics) Charismatic Authority – based on an individual’s outstanding traits that people are drawn to (followed and possess authority not because it was custom or it was law, i.e. Joan of Arc) Monarchy – headed by a king or queen Democracy – political power in the hands of the people, under a central government Dictatorship – single individual seizes power and forces his will onto the people Oligarchy – small group seizes power and forces their will onto the people Totalitarianism – nearly total control of a people by government In 2004, only 58% of American overall voted. Political Action Committees (PACs) – organization of special interest groups to solicit and spend funds to influence legislation PACs in effect, use their money to buy votes. Legislators support the special interests of groups with the ability to keep them in power rather than represent the people who elected them. The sound of money talking sounds like the voice of the people to politicians. The power elite is made up of the top leaders of the largest corporations, the most powerful generals and admirals of the armed forces, and certain elite politicians who chair the major committees. War destroys morality. Exposure to brutality and killing often causes dehumanization. As soldiers come to view their enemy as things and not people, they no longer identify with them emotionally. Prolonged conflicts tend to be transformed into a struggle between good and evil. Soldiers participate in acts that they would normally condemn. By dehumanizing prisoners, try to protect their self-concept and mental adjustment. Abu Ghraib – After 9/11, U.S. officials expected other attacks and needed to find out where the next attacks could take place. Soft interrogation techniques were deemed inadequate for the prisoners. They reasoned that Al-Qaeda prisoners were not prisoners of war: they did not represent any country, so humane treatment by the Geneva Accords could be suspended. Torture was banned in international treaties, but torture had never before been defined. They decided water boarding was not a form of torture. Soldiers were told they were on the side of good and the enemy was threatening freedom and democracy. Soldiers were dying and the prisoners might have information to protect their fellow soldiers.

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